The present invention relates to paintball guns, also referred to as paintball markers, and, in particular, to trigger systems for paintball guns.
Paintball guns are generally operated by means of pressurized air and a family of these guns controls the firing of paintballs electronically. They, therefore, require some form of switch which is operated by a user actuating the trigger to produce a signal that initiates the firing cycle subject to any other logic criteria being meet, e.g., paintball sensing, circuit timing, bolt position, etc. The importance of the use of an electronic trigger is that the guns are required to operate at a very fast cycle time, typically with the ability to achieve rates of fire up to 30 shots per second. Also, the low force requirement of an electronic trigger enables the player to maintain high rates of fire relative to the lack of fatigue to the operator's trigger finger. Players, therefore, can achieve a very high number of switch actuations in a very short time period, typically when the gun is used in a semiautomatic mode where one shot is fired for one intentional trigger pull and release. This dictates that the switch must have high speed operation combined with a long cycle life, high repeatability, a low operating force and also be resistant to the harsh environment that it is used in. Typically, mechanical switches have suffered high failures due to wear, fatigue, contamination of the faces and corrosion.
One type of known switch is a micro switch. These are inexpensive and only require a low force for actuation. However, they have a limited life due to mechanical wear of the integral spring mechanism, which leads to switch bounce, which is an undesired oscillation of the switch mechanism. This, in turn, leads to rapid making and breaking of the switch contact, known as contact flutter, which can cause multiple shots to be fired when only one is intended. Other problems with micro switches are that their make/break point can vary due to manufacturing tolerances; they are also unable to handle very short cycle times, they can fail in a closed state, and they are prone to accidental discharge from impacts, for example, due to dropping the gun. Tactile switches are also used, but these suffer from similar problems to micro switches. It is also known to use Hall effect switches. These have the advantages of good repeatability and an ability to handle fast cycle times, but can be affected by external magnetic influences. Also, the fitting of the magnet in the trigger can be difficult and can add undesired weight to the trigger.
The present invention aims to overcome at least some of these problems by providing novel switching devices to paintball gun trigger systems.